FEHR APPEARS SERIOUS ABOUT NEGOTIATING A DEAL

MLB players and owners meet today in New York in what the
USA TODAY calls "what both sides hope will be continuing talks"
aimed at securing a new CBA. Fehr has requested that the owners'
negotiating team, led by Randy Levine, be available today and
Friday -- a request that shows "the seriousness of the players'
efforts," according to USA TODAY. Levine: "I hope this is the
start of a process to really begin some intensive efforts to
reach an agreement" (USA TODAY, 2/7). In Houston, Ed Fowler
notes MLB's inability to market itself boils down to the lack of
a labor deal: "So intent are [MLB owners] on keeping the
commissioner's office vacant so no one can interfere with their
suave handling of the labor mess that they're letting rot set
into routine operations" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/7).